Remains of five newborns discovered in apartment in Orange

Orange – 28.07.2026: Police officers have discovered the remains of five newborns in an apartment in the historic center of Orange. According to the Carpentras public prosecutor’s office, the finds consist of the skeletal remains of four infants and the body of another newborn in an advanced state of decomposition. The remains were found during a search of a couple’s apartment.

The operation was triggered by a report from the 32-year-old partner of the resident. Following a home birth on Sunday, he reportedly searched the apartment and discovered something resembling human remains, according to the prosecutor’s office. He then contacted the hospital in Orange, which alerted the judicial authorities.

On Monday evening, officers from a specialized criminal division of the National Police searched the premises. Following an initial examination by a forensic pathologist, the remains found there have been attributed to five newborns. This preliminary finding is now to be confirmed through autopsies, laboratory analyses and further forensic examinations.

The Carpentras public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation on suspicion of murder of minors under the age of 15. This legal classification describes the subject of the proceedings and does not constitute a finding of guilt. It has not yet been established either how the children died or when the deaths occurred. The identities of the newborns and any possible family relationship must also still be determined.

The 32-year-old woman remains in hospital after giving birth to a child said by the prosecutor’s office to be healthy. She has not yet been questioned by investigators. Her partner learned of the pregnancy only very late, the authority said. No further information about the couple’s personal circumstances or background was initially released.

The apartment is located in an older building near Orange’s ancient theater. According to the prosecutor’s office, the couple also have two school-age children. Authorities provided no information about their current whereabouts. It also remained unclear what protective and care arrangements had been made for them and for the newborn child.

For the proceedings, the forensic findings will now be of central importance. The examination of the body and skeletal remains is intended to determine whether all five newborns belonged to the same family, when they were born and how long the remains had been in the apartment. In addition, specialists must determine the cause of death in each individual case. The prosecutor’s office has not given a timeframe for completing these examinations. Further questioning is likely to depend on the woman’s health condition and the results of the forensic analyses.